Belfiore called up from Triple-A to aid bullpen

By Brittany Ghiroli and Derek Wetmore / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Exactly a year ago, Mike Belfiore was dealt from Arizona to Baltimore, completing the trade for infielder Josh Bell. On Sunday, Belfiore was in Minnesota, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk by the Orioles to help add some length to an overworked bullpen in what will be his Major League debut.

"It's just one of those days, I guess you can say," said Belfiore, who had his parents, girlfriend and friends on hand for the Mother's Day game. "Life-changing days."

Belfiore takes the roster spot vacated by Steve Johnson, who was optioned to Triple-A after a four-inning start on Saturday night. While manager Buck Showalter acknowledged in a perfect world, the team would have preferred to have a right-hander behind lefty starter Wei-Yin Chen, the southpaw Belfiore can go multiple innings and was already on the club's 40-man roster, having been added this winter.

"It's unbelievable," said Belfiore, who flew from Syracuse into Minneapolis early Sunday morning and will wear No. 65. "This is the dream that everyone wants to do when they are younger, and it's finally here. It hasn't set in yet, but just a dream come true."

Belfiore, 24, was 1-0 with a 5.52 ERA (nine earned runs over 14 2/3 innings) in 10 games for the Tides. Last year with Double-A Bowie, he was 5-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 28 outings.

Davis, O's wear pink gear to celebrate Mother's Day

Chris Davis, Adam Jones and other Orioles players joined hundreds of their MLB peers and used pink bats made by Louisville Slugger, the Official Bat of Major League Baseball, stamped with the MLB breast cancer awareness logo.

Players and on-field personnel also wore the symbolic pink ribbon on their uniforms, as well as pink wrist bands, batting gloves and arm sleeves.

The colorful gear was designed to raise awareness for breast cancer on Mother's Day, and the pink bats used in games will be signed by teams, authenticated by MLB and presented exclusively at the MLB.com Auction site. They'll raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

"It's definitely a good thing any time you can raise awareness for something like this," Davis said. "And it's kind of a cool thing for us, because obviously a bunch of us don't get to see our wives or our moms on Mother's Day so we kind of let them know that we're thinking about them with the pink bats, pink wrist bands and all that stuff. So it's all definitely a positive thing."

Davis, who hit a home run in his first at-bat using the pink lumber, joked he may ask for permission to use it the rest of the year.

Arrieta diagnosed with right shoulder strain

MINNEAPOLIS -- Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta did not make Sunday's scheduled Triple-A start, and he has been diagnosed with a right shoulder strain that could cause the 27-year-old to either be pushed back or skip an outing entirely.

"After his last start, he felt a little ... he didn't feel right," manager Buck Showalter said following his team's 6-0 win over the Twins.

"They've tested it and the whole nine yards. It's something they have some concern with, but it's nothing right now that they're overly concerned with at this point; but it's not normal. A lot of people have that, but that's why [he didn't pitch]."

Arrieta was a candidate to be promoted on Sunday had it not been for the injury, and the team opted to recall lefty Mike Belfiore instead. Arrieta won the team's final rotation spot in Spring Training, but was demoted after pitching to a 6.63 ERA in his first four starts. He was the Orioles Opening Day starter in 2012, going 3-9 with a 6.20 ERA in 24 games (18 starts) for Baltimore.

Norfolk used three relievers to complete the game on Sunday instead.

Worth noting

• Chris Tillman will start Tuesday's game, and Wednesday's starter will be either Freddy Garcia or Jason Hammel. Garcia, who was held out of his side session, was available as a reliever on Sunday.

• Miguel Gonzalez was going to try to throw Sunday, but there's still some healing needed in regard to the blister on his right thumb. Gonzalez will try to throw a side session on Tuesday, and he could make a rehab start on Thursday or Friday.

• Left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada's rehab start hasn't been determined just yet, but the team is leaning toward Thursday.

• Taylor Teagarden (dislocated left thumb) will see Dr. Brian Schofield on Thursday in Sarasota.

• Wilson Betemit (right knee) is still doing pool work down at the team's rehab facility, and he will definitely not make the May 30 date, which is the first day he could be eligible off the 60-day disabled list.

Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli. Derek Wetmore is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.